The invention relates to an electrical contact with a contact element, which has integrally a connection portion and a contact holding portion, wherein the contact holding portion serves to be connected to a mating contact. The connection portion serves to connect for example by means of crimping an electrical conductor in an electrically conducting manner and if necessary additionally to produce a holding connection to the insulation of the cable having the conductor. The contact element is enclosed at its portion having the contact holding portion at least partially by a support element, which is also called cantilever spring and is, for example, made from a material, which has a higher strength than the contact element itself, i.e. from a steel. Such a support element is commonly made by starting from a sheet metal, i.e. by means of bending and punching as well as material connection of the butt joints by means of point welding or producing welding seams. The support element supports the contact element, so that for example contact arms belonging to the contact holding portion provided in form of elastic tongues are held securely. Furthermore, the support element serves to hold the contact securely in a housing.
A multitude of such electrical contacts are for example provided in connections, used in motor vehicles on wire harnesses or for connecting electrically operated equipment elements of a motor vehicle. Such connectors have housings, in which often in several rows, one on top of another and next to each other accommodation chambers are formed, which respectively, accommodate an electrical contact. Additionally to each accommodation chamber a locking element in form of an elastic arm is arranged, which rests with a projection behind a corresponding contour of the contact and especially its support element, so that the contact is securely retained against pulling-out from the housing. Often so-called secondary locking means are also provided. Even if pulling forces act on the cable connected to the individual contacts, the electrical contact should be securely held in the connector.
Additionally, depending on the application field, also the sealing of such connectors is important, as for example in the engine compartment of a motor vehicle a moist environment exists. Spray water can enter the area of such a connector. Because of this reason the individual electrical contacts have to be also sealed. This can be achieved such, that to each individual electrical contact a special seal is arranged, which sits in a corresponding opening, which is arranged in front of the accommodation chamber for the electrical contact. Alternatively, the end of the connector, from which the contacts are inserted into the housing, is provided with a seal, which covers the whole area of all insertion openings and has corresponding insertion openings for respectively one contact element, aligned to the individual chambers. As such electrical contacts are inserted normally after the assembly of the seals into the accommodation chambers of the connector, the electrical contacts have to be formed such, that a damage of the seal and thus a place of intrusion is prevented.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,470,258 describes a connector, which housing has several accommodation chambers, to which respectively a locking arm is arranged, which abuts a projection on an unitarily formed contact element, which projection is produced by means of multiple folding. This citation describes a secondary locking for the contact element. A seal is not provided.
An electrical contact, which offers a projection-free support possibility for a locking arm for securing an electrical contact in an accommodation chamber of a connector, is described in EP 0 971 446 B1 and the parallel U.S. Pat. No. 6,102,752 A and DE 699 10 697 T2.
The electrical contact shown there comprises a contact element, which has a connection portion in form of crimping tabs for connecting a cable and a conductor thereof for achieving an electrically conductive connection. Following the connection 3 portion a contact holding portion with elastic contact arms is integrally formed. The contact holding portion is enclosed by a support element, which is adapted to the cross-section thereof. The support element has four walls, forming in cross-section a hollow rectangle, wherein the upper wall has a tongue punched therefrom, serving for supporting one of the spring arms. At a height distance to the upper wall, a further wall is provided, which is connected integrally to one of the side walls. The further wall extends parallel to the upper wall and has portions which are bent downwards to the side walls or to the upper wall. The further wall has, furthermore, a recess, which edge facing the front end serves as a support base for a projection of a locking arm on a connector. Thus a relative smooth surface is formed, which serves that, when inserting such a contact into a chamber of a connector closed by a seal, no damage is produced on the seal. However, the support element is cumbersome to manufacture and necessitates because of the multi-layer construction, i.e. of the additional arrangement of the further wall, arranged above the upper wall, a relative large sheet metal portion, from which the support element is bent. The manufacturing costs and also the costs for the material are correspondingly high. The cross-section is correspondingly large.
DE 200 13 570 U1 describes an electrical contact for the use in connection with connectors, wherein the contact element is formed unitarily, i.e. has a connection portion formed from a sheet metal portion and a contact portion, formed as a female contact. This contact portion is provided in cross-section as a hollow rectangle delimited by four walls. In this case from one of the walls a retaining shoulder in form of a projection is formed, which has an edge, against which a projection of a locking arm, belonging to a connector, can be abutted. To prevent the problem of damaging a seal, a rib-like guide element is laterally arranged to the projection, which guide element, when inserting a contact through the opening of a seal, expands the opening such, that damages are prevent.